Member pre-sale begins Wednesday, July 29 at 10 am.
Public sale begins Friday, July 31 at 10 am.
$60 Regular • $54 Friends • $45 Students and Seniors
Duration: 60 minutes
Blackbird: In the Footsteps of Ziryab makes its world premiere as a bold new multidisciplinary performance celebrating the enduring connections between cultures through oral and artistic traditions. Led by Artistic Director Amir Amiri, the Amir Amiri Ensemble, featuring Óscar de los Reyes and Esperanza Soria, the performance brings together Canadian and Spanish Andalusian artists in a powerful artistic dialogue. Connected through centuries of migration, poetry, rhythm, and memory, the performance explores a shared cultural legacy while embracing new creative expression. The essentials of flamenco are all present: voice, complex rhythm, and dance.
This presentation ultimately asks how music travels through history, how cultures reshape one another, and how artists continue to carry ancient knowledge into contemporary life. The project seeks to illuminate the enduring connections between Persian and Andalusian artistic worlds, while creating a contemporary performance grounded in research, artistic integrity, and shared humanity.
The 9th-century figure of Ziryab is central to this work. Ziryab meaning “Blackbird,” is the name by which he is most remembered for his beautiful singing voice and dark skin. His actual name was Abu al-Hassan ‘Ali Ibn Nafi, a visionary musician, poet, and cultural innovator who left the region of Beyn al-Nahrain (present-day southern Iraq, then part of the Persian cultural world) over one thousand years ago and journeyed westward to Córdoba. Upon arriving in Al-Andalus, he established what is considered one of the first music conservatories in Europe and profoundly influenced Andalusian society through music, aesthetics, etiquette, gastronomy, fashion, and cultural refinement.
The Museum’s Performing Arts programming is generously supported by the Nanji Family Foundation.
Friday, November 20
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Nanji Family Foundation Auditorium · 77 Wynford Drive
Venue details →